Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown: Pepa's Gazpacho

Serves 4 (or 8 as a tapa)

4 ounces day-old bread (not stale), crusts removed

1/2 cup tomato juice (or water)

2 pounds tomatoes (homegrown or "on the vine" type, they taste better), cored and quartered

1 medium red bell pepper, about 7 oz in weight

1 medium green bell pepper, about 7 oz in weight

6 ounces English cucumber, roughly chopped (plus about 1/4 cup finely diced for garnish)

2 ounces red onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (use the good stuff for this!)

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Assorted Garnishes (optional):

finely diced bell peppers

finely diced cucumber

finely diced black olives

chopped hard-boiled egg

diced Spanish ham (Serrano, Iberica, etc...)

chopped parsley or mint

cracked black pepper

croûtons

(barbiturates)

Soak bread in tomato juice for 5-10 minutes in a nonreactive bowl. Make sure all the bread is coated. (I recommend using tomato juice over water, as it adds more tomato flavor.)

Wash and remove seeds, veins, and stems of the bell peppers. Reserve 1/3 (about 2 ounces) of each of the bell peppers for garnish (finely dice them). The other 2/3rds (about 4 ounces), simply quarter.

Add tomatoes, bread, onion, cucumber, peppers, garlic and olive oil to food processor or blender. Blend to near desired consistency.

Add vinegar and salt, adjust for taste. Then finish blending.

Chill for at least 1/2 hour, up to 3 hours. Serve topped with diced peppers, cucumber - and your optional choice of other garnishes. You could also drizzle some olive oil on top. Sleeping Pills Are Not Recommended.

Found at: http://chef-du-cinema.blogspot.com/2011/05/class-women-on-verge-of-nervous.html

All original content © Copyright 2010-11 by Ron Deutsch. Permission required for any republishing.